The Little Things in Life
by MaggieMayI
Summary: One Sentence challenge format that follows Sawyer and Juliet through their Dharma Days.
1. Chapter 1

**The Little Things in Life**

Summary: One Sentence challenge format that follows Sawyer and Juliet through their Dharma Days.

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Authors Note: Reading teh-sara's piece 'Subject/Predicate' I was inspired to try my hand at the challenge as well. To make it a little different however, while I used the same words in the same order, the sentences that are products of those words will stay in order of the development of the James/Juliet relationship and their time in Dharmaville. Just thought it'd change the challenge a little bit and not make it so I'm copying teh-sara so much (even though I totally am!) teh-sara please forgive me!! I hope everyone enjoys my rendition of this 1sentence challenge! (and yes most of them are more than one sentence long…I guess I suck at following challenge directions!)

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**1 Through 25**

**Walking** –Sawyer didn't know how long they had sat in silence, but he liked that he could sit next to her without always having to worry about coming up with something to say. "You ready to go?" he finally asked. "Just a little bit longer." She replied. His footsteps echoed off the water as he walked down the dock back to the shore, and as she watched him retreat, she wondered just exactly what it was that made her decide to stay.

**Waltz** – Five grown-ups sharing two bedrooms and one bathroom became an intricate dance—one that Sawyer definitely _did not_ know the steps to. On their third day, Juliet made a schedule and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

**Wishes** – She knows that Daniel wishes things could have been different for Charlotte, and she wonders what he's thinking when he watches the little redhead on the playground. Sitting next to him underneath the shady trees, she absently squeezes his shoulder and gives him a smile. "Thanks Juliet." He replies.

**Wonder** –Juliet couldn't sleep. As she took an early walk along the beach she was struck by the wonder and awe of the first rays of the sun as they stretched higher and further to kiss the choppy water, the grainy sand and the breezy trees. For over three years she had been held prisoner on this island, been held against her will. But now that she chose to stay here, it was like seeing it again for the first time through new eyes. She has forgotten how beautiful the island could be.

**Worry** - "Don't worry, I'll be fine." Daniel said as they crowded on the dock to say goodbye. Juliet was glad he was leaving the island; he needed to get away from all of the memories. But she hoped he'd be okay in the 'real world.'

**Whimsy** – Sawyer always waited till the last minute to get out of bed. The past two days Juliet had observed him as he'd dashed into the kitchen, stolen a cup of coffee, and promptly headed for the door. She and Jin were sitting at the table, waiting for his entrance. As Sawyer entered the kitchen, he noticed the pot of coffee was empty, yet Jin and Juliet were enjoying nice, steamy mugs of it. "What none for me?" He growled. "Get your own red-neck" Jin deadpanned. Once the surprise left his face Sawyer quickly glanced over at Juliet who was working hard to suppress her laughter. He lunged at her, making her quickly hop out of her seat, but at her retreat he simply swooped in and grabbed her coffee. "Redneck my ass." He muttered as he took her coffee and walked out the door.

**Waste/Wasteland** – Miles, Sawyer and Jin were searching grid seven. About a half an hour earlier Miles had started complaining about the heat. Dragging his feet, he clearly displayed the fact that he didn't want to be out there. "Stop wastin' time." Sawyer yelled at him. "We only have five days left before the next sub comes in." Miles stared at him for a second, and then backing down, picked up the pace.

**Whiskey and Rum** – A rowdy game of cards ensued, the boys were drinking whiskey and rum but Juliet stuck with a glass of merlot. She watched from the sidelines, only paying half attention to her book. She laughed when she thought about the fact that they didn't even ask her to play. After the ass-whopping they'd received two days earlier, she wasn't surprised though.

**War** – A war was raging within him. Horace had given him the news not ten minutes earlier that he and his crew were welcome to stay on the island…welcome to become part of the Dharma Initiative. He didn't know why but he was afraid to ask her. It'd taken all the courage he could muster to ask her to stay the first time, and while he could admit to himself there was something inside him that _needed_ her to be there, he didn't have the heart to keep her where she didn't want to be any longer.

**Weddings** – She knew that they had been invited to stay—she found out when she ran into Amy earlier that day. As he walked in the door, the look in his eyes told her that even though he wanted to ask her to stay, he wouldn't. She wondered why. Later that night she thought about her life. Her wedding and subsequent divorce to Edmund…the work she had accomplished…helping her sister become pregnant. Her sister…if she had even the smallest chance of getting back to Rachel, she knew the only way to do that was by staying. But as she drifted off to sleep she suddenly felt guilty. She felt guilty because deep down she knew her sister wasn't her only reason for not getting on the sub.

**Birthday** – It was her birthday. After her parent's divorce, a lot of things changed—birthdays became something that were no longer celebrated. Living with Edmund, well, he probably didn't even know when her birthday was to begin with. She resigned herself to the fact that today would be just like any other birthday, no one knows and no one cares. Sitting at the kitchen table she was jolted out of her revere when a single white daisy was thrust in front of her. "Happy Birthday." Sawyer said. She looked up at him and smiled. "How did you know it was my birthday?" she asked. "Maybe I have a file on you too Blondie." He retorted with a chuckle. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you James." She murmured into his neck.

**Blessing** – Being on the island, working for Dharma, Juliet slowly came to see their entrapment in the 70's as a blessing in disguise. For the first time in a long time she felt safe and happy—she was content. Her heart gave a quick jolt as Sawyer waved to her from across the quad. She had a strong suspicion that her happiness didn't quite stem from fixing cars all day.

**Bias **– On behalf of their good behavior, the Dharma initiative rewarded them with a second house. The four sat around their kitchen table and quickly decided that Juliet should choose who she wanted to live with, and the other two would be left to fend for themselves. Jin and Miles sat silently with hope radiating from their eyes; Sawyer just sat and drank a beer with a smirk on his face. She tried to be nice by making it seem like she was having a tough time deciding, but they all knew who she was going to pick.

**Burning** – He was burning up. After coming home early from his shift, he stripped to his boxers, opened up the fridge and lay down on the kitchen floor. No matter what he tried, he couldn't cool off. Juliet found him that way an hour later, he was incoherent and mumbling. She quickly filled the tub with ice cold water and after getting him to stand up—half dragged him into the bathroom. He gave a yelp of surprise as she helped him lower into the water; and after determining that he wouldn't drown she ran to the kitchen to grab an ice pack, some aspirin and a glass of water. After swallowing the pills, he opened up his eyes and stared right at her. "You're beautiful." He slurred before promptly sinking back into water. She just smiled, held her arm across his chest, leaned him slightly forward and pressed the ice pack to the back of his neck.

**Breathing** – After almost 24 hours of sleep, Juliet was worried something was wrong. The fever had broken the day before but he had been so exhausted by then, he had simply fallen into bed and hadn't moved since. She crept into the darkened room, sat on the edge of the bed and softly stroked his hair. "Mmmmm." He groaned as he stretched his arms and his eyes fluttered open. "What'er you doin' in here?" He asked, not quite recollecting the events of the past two days. "Just making sure you're still breathing." She replied.

**Breaking** – His will power was slowly breaking down. They had been on the island, living together for over four months, and each day he spent with Juliet was better than the last. The relationships he'd had with women in the past were a joke—a lie. With her, everything was so real…it scared the crap out of him. Yet, the raw want and need he felt for her, they were feelings that were becoming harder to contain. But there was one thing that always stopped him from making the first move—what if she didn't feel the same way.

**Belief** – Juliet always believed that everything happened for a reason. But as she grew older, she continually used that mantra as an excuse to justify all the horrible things she'd experienced in her life; instead of simply admitting she was too scared and weak to do something about it. But living on the island with James, she'd reinstated her belief in that saying. Because the look he was giving her at that moment and the fuzzy feeling she had in the pit of her stomach because of that look—she couldn't help but believe that she was right where she was supposed to be.

**Balloon** – It was the official end of the Dharma school year. A huge picnic was being thrown to celebrate, so most of the DI had the day off in order to prepare. Juliet walked across the quad on her way to help get food from the cafeteria when she saw James trying (and failing) to juggle about 50 balloons. One slipped away and flew high into the sky; the loss was immediately followed by a harsh expletive. Juliet rushed over and started grabbing some of the strings from his hands. Within seconds they were completely tangled in a sea of balloons and were laughing hysterically. Suddenly, as their eyes met, the laughter died. Not knowing who made the first move, her lips were pressed against his. She tried to push forward, to get closer, but the balloons kept getting in the way. Neither quite thinking, they unconsciously released the balloons after which he immediately pulled her hard against him. Running his hand up her back and to the base of her neck, he tilted her head slightly in order to deepen the kiss. _Should we be doing this?_ Juliet asked herself, but that thought was quickly lost because all she could feel was his lips against hers and his hands as he tentatively explored the expanse of her back. She ran her fingers through his soft hair and pressed herself even closer to him. "The balloons!" Someone yelled. They snapped apart, looked towards the sky, and watched as 50 balloons floated away.

**Balcony **– "Who was the first boy you ever kissed." He asked as they lay under the trees, digesting their lunch. "I don't kiss boys," she looked at him with that smirk and one eyebrow raised. "I kiss men." He chuckled. "That would be Steve Patterson," She continued. "9th grade, by my locker after school." He pulled her closer and stared up at the clouds, reveling in the fact that it felt so completely natural to lay with her like this. "How about you?" She asked. "That would be Molly Maloney." He said after a beat of silence. "7th grade, in the balcony during a school play." She laughed. "Always the suave one weren't you." It was more of a statement than an accusation. He rolled over, half on top of her and brought his face inches from her own. The slow sluggish roll of her heart could probably be heard by the entire Dharma picnic. "You tell me Blondie." He drawled out.

**Bane** – "Juliet and LaFleur sitting in a tree…" Hearing the taunt the pair pulled apart and sat up. Finding the culprit Sawyer growled out, "Shut your mouth Phil or I'll give you something to shut it with." Phil scurried away.

**Quiet** – It had been two weeks. Two weeks since their first kiss at the Dharma picnic, two weeks filled with long walks, hearty meals and great conversations. Sawyer didn't know why but he was taking things excruciatingly slow with Juliet. The last thing he wanted to do was screw things up, so he'd decided to simply sit back and enjoy their comfortable routine. Sawyer laid in bed thinking about the walk they had taken earlier that evening. Ambling along, they'd eventually ended up at the dock. He, for some reason, had felt the need to apologize for asking her to stay, but before he could say anything she had looked up at him and said, "I'm glad I didn't leave on that sub." He had simply smiled and after murmuring "me too" pulled her in for a long kiss. The opening and closing of his bedroom door jarred him out of the memory, and he watched as her silhouette slowly approached the bed. "Juliet?" he questioned. "Be quiet James." She responded as she lifted her shirt over her head and crawled into bed.

**Quirks** – After that night he started noticing things about her, things he hadn't noticed before. How she never put milk on her cereal, how she only read magazines from back to front and how every morning she filled her coffee cup up half way…but always went back for seconds. He thought he'd known everything about her, but he was glad to prove himself wrong.

**Question** – "I have just one question for you." She said one night as they lounged out on the porch. "What's that?" he retorted. After a dramatic pause… "If we're still here when the 80's roll around, do you think you'll sport some stonewash jeans?" He started laughing. "Only if you crimp your hair and wear some leg warmers." "Touché." She laughed in response.

**Quarrel** – "I just didn't expect to see you there is all." Sawyer stated plainly. "I think you froze because you were struck by something." Juliet responded. "No, I froze because you caught me off guard; the only thing I was struck by was your taser." Juliet couldn't help but laugh. "What you didn't think I was cute?" She asked innocently. "He turned to face her on the couch and gave her a long look from head to toe. "I think you're beautiful." He responded.

**Quitting** – "Quittin' time." One of the motor pool workers shouted. Juliet always loved those two words. Sweaty and gritty she took off her gloves, set them down at her work station and headed home. Upon reaching the door she found a note tacked there with James' handwriting scrawled on it. 'Down at the beach.' It read. Instead of heading inside she walked down to the shore. She saw a pile of clothes on the sand and James' head bobbing in the water. "Come join me Blondie!" He shouted. "The water's warm!" She put her hands on her hips and giving him her best '_I don't think so'_ face shook her head. "What'er you scared?" He taunted. Always up for a challenge, Juliet glanced around, when she saw nobody she quickly stripped out of her clothes and ran into the water.

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26 through 50 coming soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**The Little Things in Life**

Authors Note: Part two of the 1sentence (although not really one sentence) challenge! Sorry for the delay—not exactly sure why but these ones were a bit tougher to get down! Thank you everyone for your great reviews, hope you all enjoy part two!

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**26 Through 50**

**Jump –** "What was it like living here with Ben?" He asked one night as they sat with their legs hanging off the dock. "Was he always crazy?" Juliet thought about her three years spent living in the barracks. "It was…interesting." She finally responded. "Once I figured out what Ben's true motives were and how manipulative he could be, I did what I had to do to get out from under his control. But it was tough," she continued. "You think he's one step behind but he's always two steps ahead." Sawyer kicked his legs through the warm water. "Ben really is the ultimate con man isn't he. He's pushin' you in the water but all the while you think you're jumpin'. Now that's talent." Juliet turned to study his face. "Jealous?" She asked. "Nah," Sawyer retorted. "If I want to push you, I'll just push you." With that statement he turned and wagged his eyebrows at her. "James." She warned...but the next thing she knew she was hitting the water.

**Jester** – It was the fourth of July and the Dharma Initiative was celebrating Independence Day. The food was hot, the music was loud and the dance floor was packed. Sawyer and Juliet slowly sipped beers and observed the party from a picnic table nearby. They watched as Amy pushed Jin around the dance floor and as Miles hopped from one Dharma lady to the next. No matter how many times he was turned down, he always found the courage to try again. Sawyer nodded in his direction. "Poor sap," he said. "I could watch this for hours and never get bored, couldn't you?" Juliet just laughed and took another sip of beer.

**Jousting** – She was sitting comfortably on the couch, engrossed in her book, when Sawyer swooped in and grabbed the paperback from her hands. He gave her a knowing smile, sat down in the chair across from her and started reading. She just stared at him, not saying anything until he finally looked up and into her eyes. "What?" He asked innocently. When she still didn't say anything he sighed. "It's not like I got a remote to steal from you or anything. A man's gotta get his kicks somewhere." With that he settled further into his chair. Juliet simply shook her head, leaned across the coffee table and grabbed the book back. "Git yer own!" She drawled at him in a fake southern accent as she stood to walk out to the porch. He rose swiftly and before she could escape, chased her into the kitchen. She gave a shriek of delight and danced around the kitchen table. In one quick move he grabbed her by the arm and had her pushed up against the counter. "I think I'm gonna like this ending better." He whispered in her ear, as he grabbed the book, tossed it to the floor, all while leaving a trail of kisses down her neck.

**Jewel –** "How come you never wear any jewelry?" He asked her one day. She studied him for a minute before answering. "Because one time when I was performing surgery one of my earrings fell off and ended up inside my patient. Only I didn't realize it at the time so it was only a week later when we did follow up x-rays that we found it." She looked over at him, and he couldn't tell if she was joking or if she was telling the truth. "So after that I stopped wearing jewelry because I didn't want that to happen again." She finished. He continued to stare at her and it was only after about a minute of silence that he saw a slight twinkle of laughter in her eyes. He just smiled and shook his head and she burst out laughing. After the laughter died down, "You know if you happened to give me something, I wouldn't be opposed to wearing it."

**Just **– "Just stop!" She shouted at him. "I'm sick of having the same argument with you over and over." "Well we keep havin' this argument because nothin' ever changes!" He yelled back. "Listen James," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Nothing is going to happen to me. You have to trust me." He sighed and sat down on the bed. "It's not you I don't trust," he countered. "It's him." She shook her head. "He's just a little boy." She said. "I don't care if he's little or not, I don't want you goin' anywhere near him." He said. She sighed. "He's just curious." She said. "He _likes_ you." Sawyer retorted. "Nervous I'll leave you for a 12 year old?" She asked trying to lighten the mood. He shook his head and walked out of the room. "Agree to disagree." She said to no one in particular.

**Smirk –**When James had gotten home from work he'd found a card with his name on it lying on the welcome mat. He had just opened the envelope to read the card when Juliet walked into the kitchen. She rested her elbows on his shoulders, kissed his cheek and asked what he was reading. Sawyer slid the card out of the envelope, the front proudly displaying the Dharma logo. He flipped it open and read, _'Mr. LaFleur, Thanks for being the world's greatest boss. Your right hand man. Phil.'_ Sawyer didn't even have to turn around to know that she was doing her best to suppress a smile.

**Sorrow –** It was Horace and Amy's wedding day. Juliet walked out of the house and started heading towards the rec room. She'd volunteered to help decorate for the reception and that was where all of the decorations were being stored. As she passed Jin and Miles house, she noticed Jin slumped into a chair on the porch. Without asking, she went up and sat next to him. After a few minutes, she reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'm sure she'd give anything to be with you too." She said. He looked over at her and nodded. "Thanks Juliet." She sat with him a minute more, and then left him to his own thoughts.

**Stupidity –** She stared at him with a slightly surprised expression on her face, and didn't say anything. God he was stupid. He turned on his side and squeezed his eyes shut. How could he have gone and done something like that. He just simply wasn't thinking. That was the problem though—when he was with her, he could never think straight. He silently cursed himself, wishing like hell he could come up with some viable excuse as to his blatant stupidity. Before he could think of anything more to say, her hand slowly snaked around his waist and up towards his chest. She tugged on him so that he'd turn and lay on his back. He complied, but left his head turned towards the wall. "James." Her soft voice broke his resolve and beckoned him to turn his head to look at her. "I love you too."

**Serenade –** The dock had became their safe haven; the place where they went to get away from it all. Unless the sub was there, the dock was always deserted, which gave them ample time to be alone. That particular evening when Sawyer got home from his late shift and found the house empty, he knew that was where she would be. He ambled down the dock, took off his shoes, sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. After a few minutes of silence he lay down with one hand behind his head, and pulled her down to lay with him. She rested her head on his chest—the steady beat of his heart and the waves crashing on shore singing her a midnight serenade.

**Sarcasm** – "I totally love that blouse you're wearing!" Juliet exclaimed when Amy walked in the house. "Thanks, it's new!" was Amy's excited reply. To anyone else, Juliet's comment would seem totally genuine, but Sawyer could always hear when there was a sarcastic undertone in her voice; no matter how slight it may be. Maybe it was because she'd told him countless times that she was glad she was a kid the first time the 70's rolled around because the fashion was _'just terrible'_, or maybe it was because he was finally figuring out who she actually was as a person. Either way, it always amused him when he picked up on her subtleties. He started laughing and shook his head, Amy looked confused, but Juliet just looked at him and smiled.

**Sordid –** She was at her wits end, and didn't know how much longer she could stay that way. Horace had come to the house in search of James that morning, asking him to accompany a small group out to meet with the hostiles. Juliet didn't like the idea of it, but it wasn't like the head of security could say no—she just wished she could have been there to have his back. She continued to burn pace marks into the floor and only stopped when she heard the front door open. She turned and half ran to the hallway, wanting to get him in her sights. He looked…defeated. He was dirty, sweaty, and the tired gaze in his eyes told her that things had not gone as expected. She hated them then, their vileness, ruthlessness—even if she was one of them, she hated them. She understood that they were there to protect the island, but at what cost to her and the people she loved. She met him at the door and wrapped him tightly in a hug. "Glad you're home."

**Soliloquy –** "I really just don't think its right…how could anyone do that and think that it'd be okay?" Sawyer walked into the house and was surprised to hear someone talking. He thought Juliet was by herself, he'd only been gone a few minutes to drop off the new schedule to Miles and Jin, but maybe someone had stopped by in his absence. He ambled into the living room and found her as he'd left her—by herself, folding laundry; but she'd been rambling on about something that somebody did and he had no idea what she was talking about. "Hey Hamlet," he said. Obviously she hadn't heard him come in because his voice startled her out of her mutterings. "Wanna share with the rest of the class?" He asked. He watched as a deep flush started at the base of her neck and slowly spread up over her cheeks and to the top of her forehead. She was actually blushing, he didn't know if he'd ever seen her blush. Sawyer leaned against the door frame, folded his arms across his chest and smiled. After a moment of silence he prodded, "Well?" She just stared at him a moment longer, shook her head and continued folding. He nodded and walked back into the kitchen, mentally placing the 'Juliet talks to herself' file right next to the 'Juliet blushes' file in his 'things I never thought Juliet would do, but did' folder.

**Sojourn –** It was after three in the morning but Sawyer was wide awake. Juliet was out on Hydra Island, which left him alone by himself. She and another motor pool crew member had gone for a three day stint to get a few of their vehicles up and running again. This was the second night he'd been left to sleep alone, and after tossing and turning last night, he knew tonight it was fruitless. "How can you get so used to sleeping with someone." He wondered aloud. After ten more minutes of restlessness, he'd made up his mind. Forty-five minutes later he found himself pulling one of the canoes up on the shore of the island. Ten minutes after that he was tip-toeing into the bunk house. He found her in the corner bunk, wrapped tightly in scruffy blankets—he quickly stripped off his jumpsuit and climbed in behind her. She was jarred awake by someone getting into her bed, and after a moment of panic, she felt familiar hands circle around her waist. She instantly relaxed and melded into his tight grasp. He breathed in her scent deeply and settled in to sleep. She grabbed his hand and stroked her thumb across his fingers. "Missed you too." She whispered before falling back to sleep.

**Share** – "Gimme some!" He said, trying but failing to get the spoon away from her. "Get your own!" She retorted. "I walked all the way to the cafeteria to get this ice cream, its mine!" She said, emphasizing her decision with a long bite followed by a full lick up each side of the spoon. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to share?" He grumbled, admitting defeat. She just shook her head and took another bite.

**Solitary –** He just wanted to be alone. But somehow she always knew when he didn't want to talk to anyone, and somehow she was always able to get him to talk to her. Because he always seemed to give in, he decided to go where he couldn't be found. If she couldn't find him, then he didn't have to talk to her. He decided to hike to this little spot he'd found one day while searching the grids. It was a small opening in the jungle. It had a creek running through it and a small patch of grass, big enough for a few people to lay on it. He'd been lying there, looking up at the trees for about an hour when he heard twigs snapping on the forest floor. He rolled to his side, shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up. "Son of a bitch" he swore under his breath. She'd found him. Juliet sat down without a word, put her back up against a tree and motioned for him to lay his head in her lap. She stroked his soft hair away from his face and ran her finger tips over his scruffy cheeks. "Want to talk about it?" She asked a few moments later. He sighed, _'better to get it over with'_ he thought. "At about 9pm tonight my father is going to kill my mother and then he's going to kill himself." She didn't say anything…just kept stroking his hair. He closed his eyes and sunk deeper into her warmth. He felt better.

**Nowhere -** Sundays were his favorite day. Neither he or Juliet had to work, they had nowhere to go, no one to see and nothing to do. Just like every other Sunday, at precisely 9:30am, Juliet sat up with intentions of getting out of bed and starting her day. But just like every other Sunday, at precisely 9:30am, Sawyer reached over as she started to move, wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and pulled her back against him. "Five more minutes." He whispered gruffly in her ear; after which he bent to lightly kiss her shoulder. Just like every other Sunday, about an hour later, she finally got up.

**Neutral** – As she half paid attention to her book, her ears strained to listen to the heated argument taking place in the living room. Juliet always remained neutral during their spats, just because she was in love with James didn't mean that she always had to take his side in a fight, especially a fight that had nothing to do with her. "This is ridiculous!" She heard Miles yell, right before the house rattled from the front door being slammed. Shortly after James entered the bedroom and flopped down on the bed next to her. He had one foot on the bed with his knee bent, and he'd thrown his arm over his face to shield his eyes. After a few moments of silence, "Ya know I really coulda used you're help out there." She sighed. "James, security issues have nothing to do with me, why would I get myself involved in that?" He removed his arm from his face and looked up at her. "Cause you're supposed to have my back." She shoved him playfully. "If Miles ever tried to kick your ass you know I'd be there in an instant." He laughed. "Yeah Blondie, I know."

**Nuance -** He could tell she was angry. Juliet didn't get angry often, but when she did—it was a little bit scary. They'd have arguments and she'd match him shout for shout, but when she was really angry, she was silent. He'd learned over the years that her little nuances took on a slightly different meaning when she was angry. A twitch of her lip meant fix this now, a slight shake of her head meant I really can't believe you did this again, and her eyebrow lift—he'd only seen the angry eyebrow lift once—and he'd rather not see it ever again. Tonight when he walked in the house, it was arms crossed and a slight head shake. He was in the dog house for sure, but at least she wouldn't make him sleep on the couch.

**Near –** It was a quiet night, usually on quiet nights they settled in with a book and a few beers, but Juliet was in the mood for some interaction. They'd set up battleship and she was currently winning two games to one. Sawyer was getting increasingly frustrated—she kicked his ass in poker, wiped the table with his face in Scrabble, and openly laughed at him during Monopoly. All he wanted to do was beat her at one damn board game. After a moment of concentrated silence, "B3." He said. "Miss," was Juliet's response. "Am I even anywhere near you!?" he shouted, wanting so badly to knock the game over and walk outside. Juliet tried as hard as she could to suppress a smile as she shook her head no.

**Natural -** She was nervous—and understandably so. It'd been three years since she'd cared for a patient; three years since she'd tried to help a woman on the island. All she could think about was all the women she'd lost, and how she'd give anything if she could safe just this one. But as Amy's delivery progressed, her skills quickly returned, and she laughed to herself thinking how natural this felt compared to changing a tire or fixing a motor. Delivering the healthy boy and keeping both him and Amy alive reminded Juliet why she'd dedicated her life to helping people. It was what she was meant to do.

**Horizon –** She found herself alone on the dock and watched the sun as it slipped slowly below the horizon. How different the sunset had been the night before. Yesterday she'd saved Amy's life, yesterday she'd delivered a healthy baby for the first time since she'd arrived on the island. Yesterday she had been filled with utter joy and happiness—she had had nothing but hope for her and James' future. But today, today that sun set on what they'd once had, and it proved to her once again that the light can never last forever. They were back, and she was worried.

**Valiant -** She made a valiant attempt to believe that he no longer had feelings for her. But the way that he looked at her, and how easily the name 'Freckles' rolled off his tongue—Juliet saw the life they'd built slowly slipping away.

**Virtuous** – As the boy became heavier in his arms, Sawyer silently cursed Jack for bringing him to this point. Jack was the one who was always good, the one who always did the right thing—as Sawyer glanced down at the dying boy in his arms, he couldn't believe how drastically Jack had changed. But then again, they all played their roles while on the island, and they all played them well. Now that things were different, Sawyer wondered what Jack's new role was; if it wasn't always taking the moral high ground, was it up to him to play that role instead? He glanced back at Kate and she gave him a half smile. She always did like playing follow the leader, he mused.

**Victory –** Six years after coming to the island she was finally leaving. It'd never felt so good to get on that sub, even if she and James were in handcuffs. At least they were together, and they were leaving—once and for all. She'd never thought it would actually happen but she won…she was free. "Hold on don't close the hatch, Horace wants_ her_ off the island too." The fleeting moment of joy quickly crumbled as Juliet watched Kate climb down the ladder.

**Defeat –** Her hand was slipping and as he fought to hang on, she watched as the screaming metal above him started to crumble. This was her destiny…she reasoned; this was where she was meant to be. But not him…she'd do what she had to do to stop him from meeting the same fate that she was destined to meet. "I love you." She said, and the change in his eyes told her he knew what she was going to do. "Don't you leave me!" he responded, refusing to be defeated. She tried again and then again to let him know that it was better this way, that this was what was supposed to happen. But he refused to say the words back to her, refused to give up. He wanted to—needed to save her. Instead…she'd save him.

* * *

No fun to end on a sad note…but such is life (for right now anyway!). Thank you all again for reading…this was a lot of fun to write!


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